At Ohio Marijuana Card, we surveyed over 3,500 Ohioans in the medical marijuana program in our most recent patient survey. We asked the participants to rank cannabis flower, edibles, vapes, extracts, tinctures and topicals based on their personal preference. We found that the top two formats of medical marijuana that patients preferred most were flower and edibles.
As these are the two most popular formats of medical marijuana in Ohio, we wanted to go into a bit of detail about these two for you today.
There are a lot of variables that come into play when it comes to how marijuana affects your brain and your body. You have to take into consideration the terpene profile, the specific strain, and the levels of THC and CBD. While thinking about all of these factors, the format in which you buy your medical marijuana can often be overlooked.
The consumption method is actually one of the most important factors in determining the effects cannabis will have. This ultimately will impact how you treat your qualifying condition, the effects you will experience and for how long.
Inhaling flower versus consuming edibles will offer two different experiences and effects for you. The qualifying condition that you are looking to treat will determine which medical marijuana format to use and when!
In today’s blog, we will be giving you information on the difference between inhaling flower versus ingesting edibles, what the effects of each are like and how to decide which is best for you!
Inhaling Flower Versus Ingesting Edibles
Flower:
Inhaling marijuana flower is the most common way to consume marijuana, whether it is medical or not. In Ohio, you can purchase flower but you cannot combust it legally. That leaves you with the option of consuming flower through a dry herb vape.
Either way, through vaping or combustion, when you inhale marijuana, it goes into your lungs and activates the chemical compounds. It is absorbed through your bloodstream right away and makes its way to your brain.
When THC and CBD make it to the brain, it binds with the CB1 and the CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This binding is what makes you feel the effects of medical marijuana!
The timing from when you inhale flower to when it reaches the brain is very short so inhaling marijuana flower is great if you are looking for a fast onset of effects for conditions such as chronic pain or cancer.
As stated before, the combustion of flower is not legal in Ohio so vaping is the way you’re going to want to go. All you need to do is purchase some flower at your local dispensary, pack your dry herb vape and you’re all set for inhaling medical marijuana!
Edibles:
Eating edibles work very differently in the body than inhaling flower and can produce a more intense psychoactive effect. With edibles, the process is very different.
When you consume edibles, they pass through the digestive system and are absorbed through the stomach where then the chemical compounds are metabolized by the liver. The liver converts THC into another compound called 11-hydroxy-THC which is more potent and lasts a longer time than THC.
Since the chemical compounds in the edibles go through the digestive system and liver, it takes more time before it gets into the brain. Once it reaches the brain however the effects last for a long time and come on stronger than inhaling flower.
There are many different types of edibles that you can purchase at your dispensary. There are cookies, granola bites, gummies, chocolates and more. You can even make your own at home so you can control the dosage and ratio of CBD to THC!
Do Edibles and Flower Have Different Effects?
As you can see, inhaling flower versus consuming edibles both have very different ways of moving through your body. Let’s get into how these two consumption methods are different!
When you ingest edibles, metabolizing THC takes a much longer time compared to the quick acting flower inhalation. Edibles can take anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours to kick in! But because the THC is converted into 11-hydroxy-THC in the liver, you're going to feel much stronger psychoactive effects that last a long time.
Inhaling marijuana flower goes straight to the brain and works right away so you don’t have that hour plus wait time like you will with edibles. Flower gives you the chance to have rapid absorption for immediate relief. But on the other hand, the effects don’t last as long as they do with edibles.
With inhaling flower the effects typically can last you one to two hours but with edibles, you can have up to 8 hours of relief! This is why edibles are great for treating conditions like insomnia since the duration of effects is much longer than flower.
Although edibles seem all fine and dandy, there is a bit of a risk with them if you are not careful. Sometimes with edibles people can overconsume because of the wait time.
What happens is people take a dose of an edible, think it isn’t enough since they don’t feel the effects right away and they take more. Then when the body metabolizes the edibles, it ends up being way too much and they can experience an uncomfortable high.
This can be easily avoided by remembering to start low and slow. This goes for all formats of medical marijuana as well!
Choosing Which Works Best For You
When it comes to choosing which format of medical marijuana is right for you, keep in mind that everyone is different. What might work for someone else’s medical condition, may not work for yours and vice versa. There is a product and strain out there for everyone so take your time and try different formats as well as consumption methods to find the best fit for you!
With this blog, you have all the tools you need to determine if edibles or flower is right for you. If you’re not sure, try both!
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
Here at Ohio Marijuana Card, our goal is to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (866) 457-5559, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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